The present invention relates to a flat circuit wiring structure for installing a flat circuit having a circuit for electrically connecting an electric appliance mounted on a molded panel, such as a door trim and an instrument panel of a vehicle with another electric appliance mounted on a door panel or a vehicle body side via a wire harness connector.
In general, a main switch unit including a power window switch for operating opening/closure of a window glass, and a door mirror switch, and a plurality of electric appliances such as a courtesy lamp to be turned off when the door is closed and to be turned on when the door is opened are mounted on a door trim of a vehicle door as the standard components. As an electric appliance on the door panel side to be electrically connected with the standard electric appliances, a door control unit having a power window control function for vertically moving the window glass by controlling a power window motor according to an up/down signal outputted from the power window switch, and a courtesy lamp control function for turning on/off a courtesy lamp according to the output of a switch to be on/off according to opening/closure of the door can be presented. Moreover, as optional electric appliances to be optionally mounted on the door trim, optional switches such as a power seat switch for adjusting the position and angle of seats by driving a motor, a memory switch for storing the adjusted position and angle of the seats, a fuel cover opener switch, and a trunk cover opener switch can be presented. Furthermore, in the case of high grade vehicles, the optional switches such as the power seat switch are included in the standard components to be mounted on the door trim.
FIG. 7 shows a related structure comprising a flat circuit for electrically connecting the electric appliances on the door trim side and the electric appliances on the door panel side (disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-309390A). In the related structure, a flexible printed circuit board 72 of a flat circuit 71 to be mounted on a door trim 70 of a vehicle door is provided with a connecting section 73 to be connected with a main switch unit including a power window switch, a lamp connecting section 76 to be connected with a bulb of a courtesy lamp mounted on a lamp holder 75 having a bulb mounting hole 74, and a printed circuit 79 having a connecting section 78 to be connected with optional switches such as a power seat switch to be mounted on a holder 77. Tongue-like connecting sections 80 leading to the circuit 79 are formed in the middle part of the flexible printed circuit board 72. As shown in the part enlarged in FIG. 7, the connecting sections 80, which are formed by notching and bending the flexible printed circuit board 72, have an exposed conductor part 81 elongating to the circuit 79. As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting sections 80 are inserted into a recess part 83 of an insulating resin connector housing 82 assembled in the door trim 70. The connector housing 82 having a clip insertion hole (not illustrated) is fixed on the door trim 70 by a push-in clip. With the connecting sections 80 inserted in the recess part 83 of the connector housing 82 as shown in FIG. 8, a connector part of a control board provided on the inner panel side (not illustrated) is inserted in the recess part 83 so as to electrically connect terminals of the connector part and the exposed conductor parts 81 of the connecting sections 80.
However, according to the above-mentioned related structure, since the exposed conductor parts 81 of the connecting sections 80 and the connector part of the control flexible board on the inner panel side are connected, using the terminals (connecting sections 80) of the circuit 79 of the circuit 71 without providing a terminal in the flat circuit 71, the connector housing needs to be provided on the rear face of the door trim 70. In this case, a high fitting accuracy is required to the recess part 83 of the connector housing 82 with respect to the connector part of the control flexible board. However, since it is difficult to mold the large size resin door trim 70 with a high accuracy, the connector housing 82 needs to be produced independently from the door trim 70. Accordingly, the number of parts is increased so as to soar the production cost.
Moreover, in the related structure, in addition to the connecting section 73 to be connected with the main switch unit and the lamp connecting section 76, the optional switch connecting section 78 to be connected with the optional switches such as power seat switch is formed integrally with the flexible printed circuit board 72 of the flat circuit 71. Therefore, the flexible printed circuit board 72 is bulky and the cost is increased therefor. Furthermore, in the case of vehicles without having the optional switches such as the power seat switch, the switch circuit face of the optional switch connecting section 78 without a counterpart to be connected should be protected at the time of or after assembling the flat circuit 71 on the door trim 70. In order to avoid the inconveniences, it is conceivable to provide the flat circuit having the optional switch circuit and connecting section independently from the flat circuit having the connecting section 73 to be connected with the main switch unit and the lamp connecting section 76. However, in the case of merely dividing the flat circuit in two, the terminal parts of the two flat circuits and the door wire harness are connected respectively in vehicles with the optional switches mounted, two connecting points are required. Therefore, two pieces of the connector housings 82 to be provided in the door trim 70 are needed so as to increase the number of parts as well as to increase the number of steps of the work, resulting in the cost rise.
In light of these related problems, a first object of the invention is to provide a wiring structure of a flat circuit for a vehicle capable of eliminating a connecting section on the molded panel side for connecting a flat circuit installed on the molded panel and a wire harness for reducing the cost. Moreover, a second object of the invention is to provide a wiring structure of a flat circuit for a vehicle capable of capable of connecting a plurality of flat circuits and a wire harness at one point without increasing connecting sections for reducing the cost.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a wiring structure for a vehicle, comprising:
at least one first electric appliance provided on a molded panel in the vehicle;
at least one second electric appliance provided on the molded panel;
a connector provided with terminals to which wire harnesses are connected;
a mount section provided on the molded panel and including a polygonal insertion hole into which the connector is inserted;
at least one first flat circuit including a first connecting portion connected to the first electric appliance, and a second connecting portion attached on at least one of inner walls of the polygonal insertion hole while exposing conductors of the circuit; and
at least one second flat circuit a first connecting portion connected to the second electric appliance, and a second connecting portion attached on at least one of another inner walls of the polygonal insertion hole while exposing conductors of the circuit.
The first and second electric appliances are electrically connected via the connector when the connector is inserted into the insertion hole by contacting the respective terminals with the respective exposed conductors. Preferably, the first electric appliance is an electric appliance provided standardizedly and the second electric appliance is an electric appliance provided optionally. The first flat circuit includes a standard circuit for the first electric appliance and the second flat circuit includes a optional circuit for the second electric appliance.
Preferably, the mount section includes a mount face surrounding the insertion hole. The respective second connecting portions of the first and second flat circuits are provided with a slit for defining a foldable portion on which the conductor is exposed. The respective second connecting portions of the first and second flat circuits are laminatedly attached on the mount face, and then the respective foldable portions are folded into the respective inner walls of the insertion hole to be attached thereon.
In this case, since it is not necessary to provide the mount section independently from the molded panel, the cost can be reduced.
In addition, the flat circuit is divided for the standard component and the optional component so as to achieve a small size of the standard flat circuit as well as the protection of a connecting portion for the optional component can be eliminated. Furthermore, a plurality of the flat circuits and the wire harness can be connected at one point without the need of adding a connecting section, and thus the cost reduction can be achieved.
Still further, the exposed conductors of both flat circuits and the terminals of the wire harness connector can be connected easily.
Preferably, a plurality of bosses fit with a plurality of through holes formed on the respective second connecting portions of the first and second flat circuits.
In this case, the exposed conductors of both circuits can be connected certainly with the terminals of the connector at the correct position.
Preferably, a retaining member is formed on the respective bosses for retaining the respective second connecting portions of the first and second flat circuits onto the mount face.
In this case, the connecting sections of both circuits can be assembled on the mount face certainly.
Preferably, a first retaining member is provided on the connector. A second retaining member engaged with the first retaining member is provided on a part of the inner walls of the insertion hole to retain the connector inside the insertion hole.
In this case, the connector can be assembled on the mount section certainly.
Preferably, the mount section is provided as a part of a main switch unit mounted on a door trim of the vehicle. The first electric appliance includes a courtesy lamp unit and a door control unit mounted on a door panel of the vehicle for opening/closing a window glass in accordance with a window open/close signal generated by operating a power window switch provided with the main switch unit.
Preferably, the first flat circuit includes signal lines for carrying the window open/close signal to the door control unit, and a power supply line for electrically connecting the courtesy lamp unit with an associated terminal of the connector.
In this case, the first flat circuit connected with the main switch unit can be small. The exposed conductors of the plural flat circuits and the terminals of the connector can be connected at one point. Further, the mount section can be produced integrally with the main switch unit with a good accuracy without the need of producing a connecting member independently from the door trim.
Preferably, the courtesy lamp unit includes a bulb, and a lamp body integrally formed with the door trim while including an insertion hole into which the bulb is inserted and a mount face on which the first connecting portion of the first flat circuit is attached. A plurality of bosses are protruded from the mount face, which are fit with a plurality of through holes formed on the first connecting portion.
In this case, the number of parts and the number of steps of work can eliminated for the lamp body so as to reduce the cost. Moreover, the first connecting section of the first flat circuit can be positioned and assembled in the lamp body.
Preferably, a retaining member is formed on the respective bosses for retaining the first connecting portion of the first flat circuit onto the mount face.
In this case, the first connecting section of the first flat circuit can be assembled certainly on the lamp body.
Preferably, the first flat circuit includes a main circuit section extending from the second connecting portion to a third connecting portion connected with the main switch unit, and a lamp circuit section branchingly extending from the second connecting portion to the first connecting portion.
In this case, the main circuit section can be shortened so that the first flat circuit can be small as a whole.
Preferably, a plurality of bosses fit with a plurality of through holes formed on the lamp circuit section are protruded from the door trim on which the lamp circuit section is disposed.
In this case, the lamp circuit section is positioned and assembled on the door trim.
Preferably, the second electric appliance includes an optional switch unit provided with a power seat switch.
Preferably, a plurality of bosses fit with a plurality of through holes are formed on the second flat circuit are protruded from a door panel on which the second flat circuit is disposed.
In this case, the second flat circuit is positioned and assembled on the door trim.
Preferably, side walls are formed on the mount face of the mount section so as to situate both sides of the respective second connecting portions of the first and second flat circuits.
In this case, lift-off of the first flat circuit or both circuits due to contact of both side portions thereof with a finger of a worker can be prevented.
Preferably, side walls are formed on the mount face of the lamp body so as to situate both sides of the first connecting portion of the first flat circuit.
In this case, lift-off of the first connecting section of the first flat circuit due to contact of both side portions thereof with a finger of a worker can be prevented.
Preferably, side walls are formed on the door trim so as to situate both sides of the lamp circuit section.
In this case, lift-off of the lamp circuit section due to contact of both side portions thereof with a finger of a worker can be prevented.
Preferably, side walls are formed on the door panel so as to situate both sides of the second flat circuit.
In this case, lift-off of the second flat circuit due to contact of both side portions thereof with a finger of a worker can be prevented.